


Phoenix

by Komodo_Butterfly



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Awkward Male Lead, Baby dragons - Freeform, Courting Rituals, Courtship, Cute, Cute Dragons, Dragon Hatchlings - Freeform, Dragons, Fantasy, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Humor, Insecurity, M/M, Nobility, Palace, Romance, Royalty, Secret Admirer, Servants, Shyness, courting, nobles - Freeform, royal family, shy male lead
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:29:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24942349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Komodo_Butterfly/pseuds/Komodo_Butterfly
Summary: All Phoenix wanted was to find someone who would want to enter a courtship with him. But as an orphan without wealth or power, he knew he was asking for a lot. Especially as he worked in the palace, where everyone was so far out of his league it wasn't even funny.What he got instead was 8 dragon hatchlings stalking him, two riders trying to embarrass him at every turn and his longtime crushes only ever seeing him at his worst.Until the day he found a flower. Someone wanted to court him. But who?
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 28
Kudos: 72





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> To those waiting for me to update my other fics, I'm sorry. But I just couldn't stop writing this. On the plus side, I am on writing my next chapter for CinderPhoenix. And yes, it's the same character name but they are different characters.

“May I court you?”

It’s funny how four little words could have such a big impact on someone’s life. Not mine though, never mine. As people around me gave congratulations to the now beaming couple, I continued on my way.

This time of year, everyone was obsessed with finding the perfect partner. Someone with enough power, money and social standing to make everyone else green with envy. So it wasn’t unusual to see men and women making grand gestures to one another. Whether it be with flowers or jewels, through song or poetry, or by taking part in the annual tournament to find the strongest in the land. Everyone took part. Well, almost everyone.

I was in the unfortunate position of possessing none of the qualities most looked for in a partner; good looks, power and wealth. As an orphan, I’d been damn lucky to land my job and I knew it. The wages I earned were enough to keep me fed and with a roof over my head, but little else. And power? Hah. The only power I had was over the dragon hatchlings. And even then, only when I was dangling a juicy steak over their heads.

I knew very well that my chances of finding anyone were slim to none to begin with. Those odds dropped to none when I was put in charge of the hatchlings. For whatever reason, the newest litter of hatchlings had developed a strange obsession with me.

Though I’d worked in the Dragons’ Keep for two years, having been promoted from the horses’ stables, my interactions with the dragons had been minimal. Sometimes I fed them or cleaned out their pens. But usually my days were filled with me serving as an errand boy, to whichever of the dragon riders needed me. Dressing them in their gear, passing messages along and making sure every bit of equipment was cleaned until it shone. Hardly a glamourous job, but it kept me off the streets.

Then one day, I’d noticed I’d developed some stalkers. Of the scaly, squealing kind. Truthfully, I probably wouldn’t have noticed for months if it hadn’t been one of the riders pointing it out to me. Apparently, everyone had known about it. Everyone had been laughing about it even. How every time I turned my back, a hatchling would pop their little head out and start waddling after me. I’m sure one was amusing enough, but to have eight of them doing it, well you can probably imagine what a sight that was. And throughout all of it, I’d been completely oblivious.

With my every waking moment spent being followed by fire-breathing babies, it was no wonder no one ever cared to approach me. I’d had little to offer anyone to begin with and no sane individual would dare try to compete for my attentions with eight hatchlings in the way. Even one would have been too many. So I’d resigned myself to a long life alone.

It wasn’t all bad. Many of the other workers found it hilarious, and would often take time out of their day to greet me and find out about their latest antics. It was something we could all talk about, without risking drama or insult.

Working in the palace meant people were all too eager to stab each other in the back if it meant getting ahead. Especially amongst those of us who worked there. It was the dream of many young workers to seduce their way into a noble’s bed and convince them to marry. It rarely ever happened of course, but the fact that it had even once was enough for most to keep trying. As such, even the most innocent of conversations could be taken the wrong way in an instant.

To be honest, I was almost grateful for the hatchlings latching themselves on to me. While many workers had their every word scrutinized, most assumed that anything that came out of my mouth was about the hatchlings. Amusing I’m sure, but certainly not threatening.

“Phoenix! Go fetch Li and Jace for me, would you? They’re late for training and Master Kon is about to rip them a new one.

I blinked as a handsome face suddenly appeared in front of me. I barely managed to avoid tripping over the hatchlings at my feet as I startled. That would teach me to daydream on the job.

“Whoa, you okay?” I nodded at Kai, flushing a little in embarrassment. “Try not to break something on the way, okay?” He suggested, giving me an amused grin.

I just nodded dumbly. I knew I was being stupid, to still be harbouring a crush on someone so out of my league it was just embarrassing. But I couldn’t help it. Pretty much everyone was out of my league. And Kai was hardly the only one I had a crush on. That’s what happened when you were surrounded by unfairly attractive people on a daily basis.

“Right. I’ll get them.” I gave a short bow before hurrying off.

Though I’d hoped to retain some dignity, I could hear him trying to keep his laughter quiet. I only hoped it was the hatchlings that were making him laugh and not me. As if answering my prayers, a loud squeal from one of them followed by a bark of laughter from Kai, finally allowed me to relax. So it was them he was laughing at. Thank god.

I knew exactly where to find Jace and Li. Like Kai, they were dragon riders, which meant they had power and money to burn. Unfortunately, they were also very good-looking, which made them very desirable amongst those looking for courtship. I say unfortunate because despite their many advantages, or perhaps because of them, they were both assholes.

I glanced down at the hatchlings, gesturing at them to wait. I had my suspicions about what was going on to make them both late, and I didn’t want the hatchlings to have to walk in on that. I had more times than I could count and it never stopped being horrifying.

Amazingly, by the time I’d made it to the storeroom, because neither of them were very original, they were already stumbling out of it. Half-dressed I might add. But before I could say anything, one of the hatchlings, Shio, had already scampered over to them. Letting out a barrage of hisses and squeals as he sat down and waved his claws around, it dawned on me that he was trying to scold them. I couldn’t keep myself from snorting at the sight. Unfortunately, that drew their attention to me.

“Master Kon is looking for you. You’re late for training.” I said hastily, before either of them could react.

Jace swore loudly, while Li glared at me. “You keep quiet about this, or else.”

I snorted again. But rather than answer, I merely snapped my fingers so Shio would return to the others. I left quickly, ushering the hatchlings ahead of me. I knew Li wouldn’t be stupid enough to attack me. Still, I thought it wise to leave them both before the temptation to beat me proved too much to ignore.

At my side, Shio cocked his head up at me, letting out a questioning whine. I only smiled, crouching down to pat his head. “Good boy. A little stupid of you, but very brave all the same.” Shio squealed loudly, his siblings soon joining in.

As we returned back to their stalls, with each hatchling marching behind the other and squealing all the while, I thought about what I’d been lucky to miss. Although I’d never admit it, I could see why other people were attracted to the two. They were unfairly attractive and almost doting on those who managed to catch their interest. But for the most part, the longest relationship either of them had was with their dragons. Despite being terrible to most of the people they encountered, they treated their dragons well. Something I had to respect, albeit grudgingly.

“Ah, Phoenix! How are you my boy?” I looked up to see Master Kon coming towards me.

Master Kon was known throughout the keep for being one of the strictest instructors there. Responsible for training the dragon riders, he was notoriously difficult to please. Which is why it came as such as a surprise to everyone when he immediately took to me. He treated me like his nephew; on some days he even treated me like a son. But I was sure the hatchlings had something to do with that. Everyone knew how much he doted on the creatures.

He was another reason why I knew my chances of courtship were firmly at zero. Even if someone had been stupid enough to try and court me with eight hatchlings in tow, none would have been brave enough to face Master Kon.

“Good milord. I found Jace and Li, they’re on their way.” I bowed once. Much to Master Kon’s amusement, the hatchlings copied me and I let out a low groan. It wasn’t something they were supposed to do, as adorable at it was. And I feared I’d soon get in trouble for it.

“And in what state did you find them?” Though he was smiling at the hatchlings, I could see a quiet fury behind his eyes. I hesitated, unsure of how to answer. But it seemed my hesitance was answer enough.

“Master Kon!” Thank the gods, there they were.

Jace and Li hurried towards us. Though I could see they’d tried to tidy themselves, it certainly wasn’t to the standard I knew Master Kon expected. That wouldn’t bode well for them.

“You may leave.” It took a moment for me to realise that Master Kon was speaking to me.

“Yes milord.” I bowed once more, before ushering the hatchlings away.

I took the hatchlings back to their stall. Only once we were inside did I allow myself to crouch down and just breathe. Oblivious, the hatchlings raced over to a nearby crate. Inside were a handful of toys; balls, ropes and blankets, to keep them entertained. As they played, I stood up and bid them goodbye. Thankfully, they were all too distracted to pay me much attention.

With the hatchlings taken care of, I made my way to the equipment room. With any luck, I’d be able to hide there for the rest of the day. Though I’d done nothing to deserve it, I just knew that Jace and Li would be after me later on. It’s what always happened. Instead of admitting they’d screwed up by screwing around, they liked to blame the one who was unlucky enough to catch them in the act. And unfortunately, that was usually me. It was getting to a point where I had to wonder if they were doing it on purpose.

Shaking that thought from my head, I entered the equipment room. I was relieved to find it empty, albeit with a pile of dirty equipment dumped at the far side of the room. With any luck, I could hide in here until the work day was over.

I spent the next few hours cleaning the equipment, giving brief nods to the other workers who drifted in and out. Occasionally I overheard them speaking of the latest courtship; the couple I’d seen earlier. But I did my best to block them out. I had no desire to hear of how yet again, everyone around me was happy and in love.

“-nix? Phoenix!” I blinked. Max, one of the workers, stood in front of me, waving his hand in my face. “You back with us? Time to eat.” I blinked again.

“Eat?” I asked. Already? I must have been really out of it. I could hear what he was saying, but for some reason, I wasn’t processing it. Maybe I just needed food.

“Yes, food. You know, in the mess hall? You okay?” Max looked worried.

I nodded, standing up. “I’m fine. Just been a long day.”

Max nodded, still looking uncertain. “If you’re sure.” Giving me one last look, he left to catch up to the others.

I followed him, making my way to the mess hall. But the moment I entered, I wanted to walk straight back out. At the far end of the room, a young stablehand was being approached for courtship by one of the guards. With a sigh, I made my way to my usual spot and braced myself for what was about to happen. As everyone around me stared at the couple with bated breaths, I only hoped they’d finish quickly so I could eat.

One nod was all it took for the room to explode into cheers. As the red-faced lad was whisked away to sit with the other guards, everyone around me burst into chatter about the latest couple. I just focused on eating, trying to ignore everyone around me as best I could. Thankfully, the others left me alone. They were too busy analysing the new relationship in every way they could to pay me any attention.

“Phoenix?” I blinked, glancing up to see one of the guards standing behind me. I groaned before he even had a chance to speak, letting my head thunk on the table.

“What did they do now?” I asked with a sigh. Around me, the others laughed.

Those hatchlings. It was like they were competing to find new ways to drive me crazy. It was no wonder no one ever looked my way when they had to compete with a swarm of scaly, fire-breathing toddlers. Hell, even I was intimidated by the thought of it.

“D-do?” The guard asked, looking oddly nervous.

I frowned, confused. “The hatchlings. They did something, right? That’s why you’re here?” That was why he was here…wasn’t it? I firmly squashed the brief hope I got when he didn’t immediately confirm it. I was being ridiculous, there was no way it could be for anything else.

“No. They didn’t…I mean they haven’t…I mean I don’t think they haven’t…” He trailed off, looking confused.

“Then what?” Again, I ignored the hope that sparked in my chest. I was being a fool. This was all perfectly innocent.

“It’s uh…Master Ren has asked to see you.”

“What!? What did I do?” I squawked, lifting my head to gape at him. More laughter.

“He didn’t say. Just asked me to come get you.”

Now the guard’s nervousness made sense. Master Ren was the leader of the Dragons’ Keep. Responsible for every single worker within the keep, he was well known for his high standards and fearsome temper. God help anyone who crossed him. So why did he want to see me? Whatever the reason, I knew it wouldn’t be good.

With a sigh, and a few commiserating pats on the back from my peers, I stood and followed the man.

We made our way to Master Ren’s office in silence. A few times I caught the guard turning towards me, looking like he wanted to say something, before changing his mind. Ignoring him, I focused instead on trying to think of any possible reason why Master Ren would ask to see me of all people.

Before I knew it, I was stood outside the office, feeling as though I was being led to my execution. I looked to the guard who tried to offer me a smile. It was more of a grimace really. He looked eager to bolt at any moment. I only wished I could go with him. Taking a deep breath, I knocked thrice.

“Enter.” A voice called from behind the door. With one last look at the guard, I did just that.

Inside, sat at a desk overflowing with books and scrolls, sat Master Ren. He held up a finger as I entered, scribbling furiously on some parchment. Taking the hint, I stayed where I was, remaining silent. After a few moments, the man finally sighed, running his hand through his blond hair.

“Sit.” Master Ren ordered. I sat obediently.

As I waited, Master Ren stared at me, unblinking. Feeling unnerved, I stared right back until we found ourselves in a strange contest of sorts. Finally, I blinked. Only then did Master Ren smile. If I hadn’t been nervous before, I certainly was now.

“I suppose you’d like to know why I’ve called you here.”

I nodded. “Yes sir.” I added for good measure.

“Tomorrow, we will receive a new shipment of dragons. One, I have been told, is a hatchling and its mother. It will be your job to care for the hatchling once it arrives.”

“Only one?” I asked, unthinking. It was strange for there to only be a single hatchling.

“Indeed.” Master Ren confirmed. I frowned in confusion. “Their mother is a golden.” He added after a moment’s pause.

I froze. Golden dragons were the rarest of the dragons. Said to have extraordinary power, they were by far the most coveted of the dragons. But their birth rates were so low, it was almost impossible to see one in person.

“And the hatchling?” I dared ask. I knew I was pushing my luck, but I just had to know.

“Grey.” He sounded disappointed by it. I could see why.

There were many beliefs regarding a dragon and its colour. At the lowest rank were the greys; the most common of the dragons. Said to be slow and dim-witted, they were used mainly for manual labour. Next were the earth coloured dragons; the brown, green and blue. Above those were the bright; orange, red and yellow. And above those were the jewels; those with colours as bright and shiny as the rarest of treasures; the sapphires, the rubies, the emeralds and the ambers. But above all were the metals: the iron, bronze, silver and of course, the gold.

For a golden dragon to produce a mere grey, must have been a great disappointment to many. Still, it wasn’t the hatchlings fault. Dragons had no choice in what scales they bore upon birth.

“I have discussed this with the other masters. It has been agreed that from now on, your sole duty will be to care for the hatchlings.” At my questioning look, he continued. “Concerns were raised about the amount of work you have been doing. You were hired as a regular worker. But of course, when the hatchlings latched on to you, things changed. As I understand it, you have been caring for them in addition to your own work. But it has been brought to my attention that you’ve been endangering your health.” He gave me a pointed look.

I looked down, embarrassed. Last week I’d woken up in the healers’ halls…again. Though my health had never been the best, having spent years as an orphan surviving on just one meal a day, I’d been improving since I’d come to the palace. Unfortunately, a recent sickness had left us four workers short. I’d been staying late and skipping meals to try and tackle the workload, in addition to caring for the hatchlings, only to collapse two days in. The healers hadn’t been happy with me.

“They should arrive at midday. You’ll need to be in the courtyard with us when they arrive. Once they do, you’ll take the hatchling and introduce it to the others. Understood?”

I nodded. “Yes sir.”

“Good. You may go.”

I bowed once before leaving.

Once outside, I headed down the hall before collapsing against one of the walls. Taking a few deep breaths, I thought about what had just happened. To think, an actual golden dragon was coming here? I was really going to see one? I couldn’t believe it.

Suddenly drained, I forced myself to stand. So much had happened in just one day and I was already exhausted.

I didn’t bother returning to the mess hall. Instead, I checked on the hatchlings one last time before retiring to bed. It was an unusually early night for me, but a necessary one. As I drifted off, my head was filled with thoughts about the golden dragon.

That night, my dreams were strange. My head was filled with voices, none of which I recognised. My skin crawled, as though something was moving on top of me. And surrounding me was a warmth so intense, it had me desperate to escape it. So that’s just what I did.

I woke to a sight I really hadn’t wanted to see. Instead of my ceiling, I woke to a pair of bright amber eyes staring into my own. With a yelp, I shot up, looking around wildly. Somehow, in the middle of the night, every single hatchling had escaped their stall and wound up in my bed. With a groan, I flopped back down, covering my face with my hands.

Around me, the hatchlings squealed and cheered, seeing I was awake. Several began climbing on top of me to join the first; Shio. The rest crammed themselves in whatever gap they could; each trying to attach themselves to my body and absorb its heat.

I lay there a few moments longer, just listening to the hatchlings communicate with one another. It was a strange mix of squeals, chitters and hisses that left me wondering what exactly they were saying to one another. Finally, I sat up.

I could see from the light in the room that it was still early, perhaps just after dawn. It meant I still had time to bathe and eat breakfast. Though both would be difficult with the hatchlings in tow. With a sigh, I sat up and carefully climbed off the bed. Ignoring the hatchlings’ protests, I grabbed my spare clothes, soap and a towel.

“Stay here. I’m just going to bathe.” I told the hatchlings. They squealed, waving me off with their claws as they fought amongst themselves who would get to bask in the warm spot I’d just left. Hopefully that would keep them occupied for a while.

I headed towards the baths; large pools of steaming hot water that were used by all of the workers. Miraculously they were practically empty when I arrived. Only an old guard and a couple of riders occupied the pool. All too busy chatting amongst themselves to pay me much attention.

I bathed quickly, letting myself relax for just a moment when I was done. Finally, I moved, reaching back to grab my towel only for someone to put it in my hands.

“Thanks.” I said to whoever it was, only for a loud squeal to pierce the air. I froze, turning in disbelief to find the hatchlings sat on the edge of the pool, wagging their tails in eagerness.

Behind me I heard a bark of laughter before the water began to move around me.

“I think they want to swim.” One of the riders laughed, appearing next to me.

Without sparing me a glance, the rider reached over and picked up a hatchling with both hands, before lowering it into the water. The hatchling squealed again, obviously delighted, as the others protested loudly. With a laugh, the rider did the same with another two. The other rider swam up to us too, joining his friend in lowering the hatchlings into the pool.

I watched the hatchlings swim in disbelief. While some had decided to try swimming on their front, with their little legs pumping furiously, a few just floated on their backs as they enjoyed the warmth.

“Hey you’re Phoenix, right?” I blinked as one of the riders finally turned to me.

I nodded and looked at him. Although I knew he was a rider, from the tattoo on his shoulder, I didn’t know his name. But I’d seen him and his friend from time to time, in the company of their dragons. Both riders were unfairly attractive, a trait all of the riders seemed to possess. Perhaps that’s what you needed to be chosen as a rider in the first place?

“You know me?” I asked.

He laughed. “Of course. You’re kind of infamous around here. I’ve heard all sorts of tales about you.” He grinned at me, looking me up and down. Was he…no. He couldn’t be. Before the idea could take root, I dismissed it. There was no way he was interested. Not in me.

A loud squeal from one of the hatchlings gave me the excuse I needed to look away. “I don’t know you though.” I replied, still looking at one of the hatchlings; Kima, who waved at me. I waved back. Kima squealed again.

“Drace.” I blinked and turned back to the rider. “My name is Drace” he elaborated. “That’s Leon.” He nodded towards the other rider.

As if on cue, Leon burst up from beneath the water with a roar, chasing the hatchlings that had gotten too close. A chorus of squeals filled the room as the hatchlings swam around, clearly delighted they’d found a new playmate.

At my side, Drace chuckled at his friend’s antics. “So have you heard the news about today?”

“You mean the golden?” I doubted it was a secret. Drace nodded.

“We’re gonna be there to help her get settled in. She’s gonna be next to his dragon.” He gestured towards Leon, who was now pretending to drown as the hatchlings defeated him. At least I hoped he was pretending.

I nodded, unsure how to respond.

“You’re taking the hatchling, right? The grey?” He asked.

“Yeah.” I nodded, still watching Leon with the hatchlings.

“So what do you think about that. About a golden birthing a grey I mean?” He asked, tilting his head to the side.

“I think people who care about that sort of stuff are idiots.” I replied, without thinking. Drace laughed, clearly taken aback by my blunt answer. “Sorry. I didn’t mean…I just don’t think their colour should be all anyone thinks about. They aren’t just mindless beast. They have feelings.” I continued. Drace hummed in response.

A sudden wail interrupted us. I looked over to see Leon scooping up Rin, the youngest hatchling. Still wailing, she was clutching her tail as the other hatchlings watched. I swam over, concerned. When she saw me, she immediately held her claws out, obviously wanting me to hold her. With a sigh, I did just that. “What happened? Let me see.”

I barely registered Leon talking. I was more focused on calming Rin, and making sure she didn’t shred my skin in the process. Though young, their claws were sharp. And I was very much naked. Not the best combination.

Rin whimpered, moving her tail so I could see it better. There, at the very tip, I saw it. A bite mark. I took a deep breath and turned to the rest of the hatchlings. For a minute, I did nothing but stare at them. They stared back. Then finally, looking guilty, one of them paddled forward until he hit my chest. Looking up at me, Morag; a green hatchling, gave a low whine.

“Don’t apologise to me, apologise to Rin.” I told him. I lowered Rin down so she could see him better.

Morag gave another low whine, butting his head against Rin’s in apology. When Rin turned her head with a snort, he gave another low whine before turning over onto his back. Seeing this act of submission, Rin finally moved. Letting Morag float for a few moments more, Rin circled him slowly, much like a predator would do to their prey. Until finally, she shot forward, butting his head with hers. All was forgiven.

With a sigh, I sank back into the water. I had to wonder, what would the new hatchling be like? Even if it was a grey, that wasn’t an indicator of their personality. Would it be a troublemaker like Morag? Or would it just not listen like Shio? Or would it be friendly like Kima? Whatever its personality, I had no doubts that this lot would corrupt it.

“You can get them to apologise?” I startled, spluttering as I got a mouthful of water. I coughed before turning to Drace who had come up behind me, without me noticing.

“Yeah.” I coughed again. “Can’t you?” I asked. Wasn’t that just what they did? I hadn’t been around the full grown dragons enough to see if they did it too. But the hatchlings had been doing it ever since I’d met them. I was sure they’d learned it from somewhere.

Drace laughed. Leon too. “Not a chance.” Drace finally said, with a wide grin.

“You’d have a better chance pulling out their teeth.” Leon added.

“But they’ve always done it.” I said, confused. “I thought that’s just what they did.”

Leon snorted and Drace grinned at me. “Then you should come visit the adults sometime. See for yourself what they’re really like.” He offered.

“Hey yeah. And bring these guys too. Then Master Kon won’t be able to say no.” Leon added, grinning. He waved at the hatchlings, and cheered as they waved back.

“Say no to what? And what the hell are they doing in the pool?” I froze.

I didn’t want to turn around. I knew without looking that Li was behind me. And where Li was, Jace usually followed.

“Getting Master Kon to let the hatchlings visit the full growns.”

“Swimming.” Drace and Leon said simultaneously.

Li just snorted. I still refused to look at him. Apparently he noticed.

“So you’re ignoring me now? Funny. You didn’t have a problem when you were getting an eyeful of my junk.” Li sneered, pushing past me.

I moved out of the way, glaring at him. Unable to help myself, I commented; “Not enough there for an eyeful.” Wisely, I hoisted myself out of the pool before he could react. “Can you-” I asked Leon, gesturing towards the hatchlings. He nodded and started passing them up to me.

Li turned around, glaring at me. I glared back. “Then maybe you should stop by the healers and get your eyes checked. And maybe a few other things too.” He commented, raking his eyes over my body. I shivered. Only from the cold. It was just the cold air making me react that way.

“You know, if you two need a minute…” Drace said, giving me a funny look.

“No!” It was probably the only time we were both in agreement.

“You think I would ever lower myself to…that?”

Asshole.

I looked down at the hatchling I was lifting up. I couldn’t deny that stung. But I sure as hell wasn’t letting Li know he’d gotten to me.

“What crawled up your ass?” I heard Leon ask.

“What’s wrong with him?” Drace added.

As the last hatchling exited the pool, I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around my waist. Whatever Li said, I missed. I was more focused on ushering the hatchlings over towards the changing area. Distantly, I could hear them trying to call me back. But I ignored them. Instead I dried and dressed as quickly as I could. At my feet, the hatchlings shook themselves dry. Hearing footsteps, I grabbed my things and left. I didn’t even check to see if the hatchlings were following me.

I hurried back to my room. There, I dumped my belongings, before ushering the hatchlings outside.

I decided to skip breakfast. Not my smartest idea, but I was too embarrassed to let anyone see me. I knew I was being ridiculous, but I didn’t care. Li’s words had prodded at something I’d tried to keep hidden. It was bad enough when I was able to list all of the reasons I was doomed to be alone. But to have someone else confirming it, it made it real.

I shook my head. I didn’t want to think about it anymore.

I returned the hatchlings to their stall. Inside, they scurried over to a wooden crate at the far end of the room; their toy box. Inside were a handful of balls, ropes and shiny things. Their own little treasure trove, until they grew old enough to build their own.

Pulling out one of the balls, Kima bounced over to me, dropping it at my feet. Immediately I was swarmed by whining, squealing hatchlings as they begged me to play. With a sigh, I flung the ball high into the air and watched them run. 

As the hatchlings played their game; keeping the ball off the ground as long as possible, I thought about what the newcomer would be like. I already felt a little sorry for it. How had it been treated up until now? Had people been kind, despite the disappointment they must have felt at its birth, or had they taken out their frustrations on the poor creature?

A sudden squeal snapped me from my thoughts, just in time for the ball to hit me in the head. Startled, I fell back with a groan, rubbing my forehead. A sharp bark of laughter came from the gate. While a couple of the hatchlings ran over to see if I was okay, the rest went to greet the newcomer.

“You okay?” I breathed a sigh of relief. It was just Loren; a guard and friend.

“Been better.” I answered, still rubbing where the ball had hit.

“You skipped breakfast. Here.” He held out a small sack. I stood and made my way over to him, almost tripping over one of the hatchlings. Loren laughed again.

Inside the sack was a hunk of cheese, an apple and a freshly made bread roll. “Thanks.” I nodded.

Loren waved it away. “So why’d you skip? What happened? Kai dump you?”

I snorted. “Funny” I said. Without waiting for his reply, I started eating.

“You should really just tell him you’re interested in him. I’m sick of hearing about it.” That was fair enough, Loren was probably the only person I’d actually talked to about my little crush. Not that he helped much. But as he too was pining over someone who would never look his way, it gave us something to bond over.

I swallowed. “And what about Lian? When are you gonna tell her?” Predictably, he froze. Then huffed. Then looked around, before opening the gate and letting himself inside.

“That’s different.” Was his sullen reply. I just snorted. Different my ass.

“So why’d you skip?” Loren asked again.

I scowled and swallowed another bite. “Ran into Li in the baths.” Loren nodded in understanding. That’s what I liked about him. I didn’t even need to say anything for him to just get it.

“What’d he say?” He asked. I just shook my head.

“He was just being an asshole.” Much to my horror, I caught several of the hatchlings nodding along. Shit. Had they understood that? Seeing my face, Loren snickered. “I see you have this lot well trained.” The hatchlings squealed in agreement and I groaned.

“As long as they don’t do it when we go to collect the new one” I replied. Around us, the hatchlings froze. I hadn’t told them about the new hatchling, had I? _Shit_.

All of a sudden we were surrounded. The hatchlings squealed and squirmed, hissed and squeaked; chittering none stop. Each waving their little claws and flapping their underdeveloped wings, they crowded us, begging to learn more.

“Whoa, wait a minute!” Loren yelped, then groaned loudly as one of the hatchlings accidently stood on his junk.

Wincing on his behalf, I held my hands up. “Freeze!” I ordered. Incredibly, for the first time ever, they froze instantly. The last time we’d tried this, it had taken at least three tries to get most of them to listen to me. Feeling luckily, I added a: “Sit!”

They sat.

“You okay?” I asked. Loren waved me away, still crouched over. The culprit, an amber hatchling named Amber (what else?), gave an apologetic whine. Loren tried to give her a smile. It looked more like a grimace.

“Right. Well as you just heard, a new hatchling will arrive today.” The room erupted into squeals and squeaks. “Which means, you need to be on your best behavior when we meet them. Okay? That means no running off, no making trouble and no fighting.”

The reaction this time was mixed. With some looking happy, some looking worried and one in particular looking rather guilty.

“Soren what did you do?” I asked. The yellow hatchling whined, giving me the most pitiful look he could. Whatever he’d done, it had to be bad if he was already trying to make me feel guilty. “Well?” I asked again.

After a long minute, he finally moved. Shaking his head and swatting his tail, he explained through a series of whines, squeals and body language. Finally he finished with a low whine, dropping to his belly and crawling to me.

“Did he see you?” I asked. I sighed when he shook his head again, wagging his tail. “Good. But there can be none of that when we meet our new friend. Okay?” Soren nodded, letting out a high pitched squeal. The others joined in.

“Uh, for those of us who don’t speak hatchling, what did he say?” Loren asked, moving gingerly.

“He broke into someone’s office and took a shit.” I replied. “Master Lan’s I think?” Soren nodded again.

Loren snorted.

“You can understand them?”

I choked on my last bite. What was Kai doing here? Trying to be helpful as I continued to choke, Kima came over and whacked me in the back with his tail. The others quickly joined in as I gasped and spluttered all the while. Finally, I hacked up a chunk of bread. I cringed as Breeze, a sapphire hatchling, gobbled it up.

In the background I could hear Loren and Kai talking, but I was too mortified to look. God, it wasn’t even noon and I’d already embarrassed myself twice today.

“How long?” I blinked as someone’s hand waved in front of my face. “You okay?” I flushed crimson as Kai stared down at me, looking concerned.

“M’fine.” I muttered. As if it wasn’t bad enough, I could feel my face heating up.

“Good. So how long have you been able to understand them?” Kai repeated. I looked up. He looked at me strangely.

I swallowed. “Dunno. I mostly just guess. They try to tell me by moving around and stuff. It’s not hard, you just have to pay attention.”

He nodded, still giving me that strange look. Suddenly he smiled. I quickly dropped my gaze. “I see. Sorry, I was just curious. You sure you’re okay?”

I nodded stiffly. He smiled again. I tried to ignore the funny feeling that gave me in my chest.

“If you’re sure. I just came to tell you that the golden’s just arrived at the city gates. It’s on its way here now.”

“Wait, what? I thought they were coming at noon?” I gaped at him. He just shrugged.

“They’re ahead of schedule” he replied.

I groaned. I was not mentally prepared for this. On the other hand, the hatchlings were clearly delighted.

“Okay.” I stood and turned to the hatchlings. “Line up.”

It took a while for the hatchlings to get into line. Clearly excited, most of them were eager to run and jump and play. Not stand still and wait. But they did, eventually, do as I asked. I considered it an improvement. At least there had been no tears this time.

“By the way, I heard something happened between you and Li.” Kai started. I shook my head, cutting him off.

“That’s between me and him.” In hindsight, those probably weren’t the best words to use because they implied something had happened.

“So something did happen?” He asked. I scowled.

“Let’s go.” I said to the hatchlings, ignoring him.

Sensing my mood, the hatchlings obeyed. With questioning whines, they looked between me and Kai, tilting their little heads in curiosity.

“Phoenix?” I’d forgotten Loren was still there.

I shook my head. “Leave it. It’s fine.” I answered.

Loren shrugged his shoulders. “If you say so.” This is why he was my friend. He knew when to leave things alone.

“Listen I-” Kai started, but I didn’t want to listen.

“Don’t. Just leave it, please.” I asked. He held his hands up in surrender.

“Alright. As long as you’re okay.”

Before I could answer, the hatchlings began squealing. Confused, I turned around. And there he was; crush number two. His Royal Highness; the second prince. With Kai, I could at least pretend I had a chance. After all, we worked in the same building. But with Prince Reynold, I knew I didn’t have a chance in hell.

“Hello there.” Prince Reynold waved at the hatchlings, chuckling as they waved back. Reaching us, he crouched down and opened his arms. Amazingly, the hatchlings didn’t immediately run over to him. Instead, they turned to me and whined.

“Go on then.” I nodded. Before I could even finish, they were already swarming the prince.

Prince Reynold laughed loudly, reaching out to tickle any exposed belly he could. As the hatchlings shrieked in delight, and did their best to climb all over him, he looked up at me.

“You’ve trained them well.” He grinned. “The last time I visited, I was mobbed the minute I turned the corner. What’s your secret?”

I flushed a little at the compliment. Averting my eyes, I answered: “Just treat them right.” Seeing he was about to respond, I quickly added: “And a little bribery doesn’t hurt.” The hatchlings squealed loudly, agreeing with me.

Prince Reynold laughed, distracted once again by their demands for his attention. Pushing his black hair out of his grey eyes, he smiled up at me.

“Wise words. The same could be applied to people too.” He commented. Swallowing nervously, I merely nodded.

“May I ask why you’re here Your Highness?” Kai asked from behind me. I startled a little, not realising he’d been so close.

“I’ll be overseeing the new arrivals. I heard they’re arriving earlier than scheduled. I came to make sure Phoenix here was aware of the change, and of course to see the little ones again.”

He knew my name. His Royal Highness actually knew my name. I had to be dreaming. It took all of my self-control to keep my face blank and remain silent.

“I see.” Was it my imagination, or did Kai not look happy? No, no I had to be mistaken.

“Shall we go?” Prince Reynold stood and asked me. At his feet, the hatchlings clung to any part of him they could reach. He laughed again, after seeing where my gaze was directed. “I love you all too. But if you cling to me like that, we’ll be late. You don’t want to be late to meet your new friend now, do you?”

Obediently, the hatchlings shook their heads. Letting out mournful whines, they detached themselves and waddled back over to me.

Together, we all made our way to the courtyard, where we would be meeting the golden and her hatchling for the first time. As we passed, many people stopped and bowed, no doubt gossiping about what a strange procession we made; eight hatchlings, one guard, one rider, a nobody and a prince. The hatchlings remained oblivious to their stares; waddling along without a care and squealing loudly at the people they knew and liked.

Suddenly Loren stopped. Ahead, stood a couple of guards who stared at us. “Excuse me Your Highness. But my shift is about to start. Phoenix I’ll see you later.” He bowed and grinned at me before hurrying over to the other guards.

The hatchlings whined, waving goodbye as he left. Briefly, Loren turned to wave back at them, earning delighted squeals in response. He grinned again before leaving with the guards.

“Is he courting you?” Prince Reynold asked out of the blue.

I snorted. “He has someone else in mind.”

Prince Reynold hummed at that. “Then who is courting you?” he asked.

“He’s not being courted. By anyone.” Before I could say anything, Kai interrupted us both.

I scowled, dropping my gaze to the floor. An awkward silence settled over us as we walked. Finally, perhaps realising he should have kept his mouth shut, Kai spoke again.

“I hear you’ve been considering courtship Your Highness.”

I swear my heart stopped at those words. Somehow, I managed to keep most of the surprise from my face. But it was a struggle.

Prince Reynold hummed again. “And do you believe those rumours?” He asked.

Kai looked uncertain. “There have been many rumours, but these are the first I’ve heard about you initiating courtship Your Highness.”

Was it my imagination, or was there some strange tension between them both?

“Indeed. And if they were true, what would you think?” Prince Reynold asked again.

I watched as Kai stilled, with a strange look on his face. He swallowed audibly. “I think, you are the prince of this kingdom. Whoever you wish to court, would be very lucky.”

Prince Reynold smiled, looking pleased. “I see. A very diplomatic response. Though I’d appreciate it if you were honest. You don’t seem particularly happy.”

Something was going on between them. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it was unnerving. For a brief moment, I considered the possibility that the one Prince Reynold wished to court was Kai. But if that were true, why did Kai look so on edge? For an even briefer moment, I considered another possibility. It was ridiculous and I knew it would never happen, but for the briefest moment, I imagined that it was me Prince Reynold wanted to court. Of course, as soon as the idea entered my mind, I immediately discarded it. It was a fantasy, nothing more.

Kai frowned, looking away. “I have no strong opinions regarding your future courtships Your Highness.” He finally said after a moment’s pause.

“I see. So if the rumours were true, and I were to announce to everyone who I’ve chosen to court. You’d continue to have no strong opinion? You wouldn’t be…jealous?”

I didn’t hear Kai’s response, too distracted by the blood rushing in my ears. I knew, in that moment, that Kai was the one Prince Reynold was interested in. It was the only logical explanation. And it was one that left me devastated.

Mercifully, we found ourselves entering the courtyard just at that moment. It was the excuse I needed to escape, giving a short bow to Prince Reynold, before hurrying over to the other workers.

I didn’t dare look back at the other two. I knew I’d do a terrible job at trying to pretend I was okay, if I did. But as long as I didn’t look at them, I was pretty sure I could keep it together.

“Everybody make room.” Someone cried out.

Startled, I looked up and found myself staring in awe. There, in the air, hovered the golden dragon. Accompanied with a handful of other dragons and their riders, she descended gracefully to the ground.

I moved away quickly, ushering the hatchlings to follow me. They obeyed, clearly just as enthralled by the newcomer as the rest of us were. Once the golden landed, I had to order them to stay. They did, though it clearly pained them to do so.

A hand came down on my shoulder and I almost jumped out of my skin. Breathing heavily, I clutched at my chest as Master Ren emerged from behind me. To my right I noticed Leon trying to catch my eye. Grinning at me, he waved. Before I could react, the hatchlings noticed him and started waving in return. Leon grinned wider.

As Master Ren greeted the newcomers, I watched the golden in awe. She was beautiful. But where was her hatchling?

At my feet, the hatchlings squirmed, clearly desperate to meet their new friend.

“Phoenix.” Master Ren called me.

I hurried forward, bowing once. The hatchlings followed, bowing too. I winced as that earned a round of laughter from those observing.

“As you can see Master Omar, the hatchling will be well taken care of.” Master Ren informed one of the men who’d accompanied the golden.

Master Omar, a giant of a man with thick dark hair and black eyes, nodded sharply. He already intimidated me, just by the sight of him.

At my feet, the hatchlings squealed loudly, causing everyone to look at them. With their tongues hanging out, it looked as though they were all smiling. Seeing everyone’s attentions on them, they took it upon themselves to show just how well taken care of they were. As they strutted for their crowd, showing off their shiny scales and wings, Master Omar surprised us all by letting out a great bellow of laughter.

As if on cue, the other men and women he travelled with, began laughing too. Soon everyone joined in, obviously tickled by the hatchlings and their antics. As for me, well I just wanted the ground to swallow me up.

“Indeed they are Master Ren. Tis a good sign to see them in such high spirits.” He smiled.

Suddenly, a loud squeal sounded. Confused, my hatchlings looked between themselves to see who was responsible. When no one came forward, they turned to the golden dragon with questioning whines.

I remained frozen where I stood, as the golden dragon knelt down and bowed. Before I could wonder who she was bowing to, and why, a small grey hatchling came tumbling down. Hitting the floor with a soft thump, it shook itself before letting out another loud squeal. The grey hatchling nuzzled its mother’s head before turning around and racing over to my hatchlings.

Amazingly, the hatchlings turned to me with begging eyes, waiting for permission. I was impressed by their control. With a sharp nod, I winced at the ear-splitting shrieks they gave, before racing towards their new friend.

Any doubts I had about the new hatchling evaporated in that moment. Oblivious to those of us watching, the hatchlings introduced themselves one by one, with wagging tails and wide eyes. Then, once introductions were made, the newcomer waddled over to its mother, calling the other hatchlings over.

I watched as the golden nuzzled each of the hatchlings in turn. One by one, the hatchlings moved close to accept the golden’s touch, before shuffling off to the side to let out a chorus of happy squeals and trills. Around me, I could hear some of the other workers cooing and commenting on the sight. But as cute as it was, I found it difficult to keep the day’s earlier events from my mind.

Suddenly everything went silent.

_Guardian._

I blinked. Was I hearing things?

_Take care of them._

I blinked again. That was not my imagination. Something was in my head.

_Protect them._

Instinctively, I looked up from the hatchlings. Staring at me with glowing eyes, the golden purposely looked back down and nuzzled the last hatchling.

_Please._

It was her. The golden. I didn’t know how, or understand why, but it was her speaking to me. I was certain of it.

I nodded once. In an instant, the sound came rushing back. Suddenly I could hear everything again; from the workers’ chattering to the hatchlings’ squealing.

A sudden chirp at my feet caught me off guard. The grey hatchling stared up at me, cocking its head to the side.

_Boy. Ashaka._

“Ashaka?” I repeated, confused. The hatchling squealed loudly in response, clearly delighted. Nuzzling into my legs, he proceeded to squeal and jump around. Soon, the other hatchlings joined in.

I watched them play a few moments more before looking over towards Master Ren. At his nod, I snapped my fingers. Instantly, the hatchlings froze. Even, surprisingly, Ashaka. With a pointed look, I managed to get them to line up. Seeing what the others were doing, Ashaka followed them with a questioning whine.

“You have them well trained.” Master Omar commented. I blinked. Without me noticing, everyone’s eyes had turned to me. I shifted nervously.

“Only when they want to listen milord.” That made him laugh.

“Aye, that sounds about right.” He told me. The hatchlings whined at that, obviously understanding him.

“Perhaps now would be a good time to take the hatchlings back?” Master Ren interrupted. “And of course we will escort the golden to her new home.”

_Aurelia._ The golden’s voice rang through my head.

“Aurelia.” Master Omar said. “Her name’s Aurelia.”

“Of course, Aurelia. My apologies.” Master Ren smiled. “Phoenix?”

Without needing further prompting, I bowed at them. Turning to the hatchlings, I asked them: “Are you ready to go?” A chorus of happy sounding squeals was my response. “Then let’s go.”

I did my best to ignore everyone watching us as I ushered the hatchlings back inside. Behind me, I could hear laughter, but I assumed the hatchlings were doing something behind my back to cause it. That was fine. As long as I didn’t have to look back at them, it was fine.

Inside, I let out a sigh of relief. I motioned for the hatchlings to walk ahead of me this time, smiling at their antics. As long as I kept looking at them, and not thinking about earlier, then things would be fine. Really.

Maybe if I kept thinking that, I’d come to believe it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I already had this chapter written before I posted the first chapter. Hence the speedy update.  
> Thanks so much to all those who have given kudos and reviews!  
> KB

Once back at their stall, the hatchlings raced over to their toy box. Ashaka stayed next to me, looking around nervously. He looked up at me with a questioning whine.

“Go on. Everyone’s been looking forward to playing with you.” Ashaka whined again, nuzzling into my legs. With a sigh, I crouched down. “Are you scared?” He whined again.

A questioning chirp caught both of our attention. Amber, sweet little Amber, came up to us with a ball in her mouth. Dropping it, she nudged it towards us with a squeal.

“She wants to play with you. Do you want to play?” I asked him. Ashaka nodded, nuzzling into my legs again. “Then let’s play.” I grinned at him, snatching the ball up.

Immediately, the hatchlings froze. All eyes were fixated on the ball in my hand. “Ready?” I called out. “Go!” I flung the ball high into the air, letting them go nuts.

“You have to keep the ball off the ground for as long as you can.” I explained to Ashaka, who was watching the spectacle curiously.

The hatchlings ran around gleefully, hitting the ball high into the air with whatever body part they could. After an impressive headbutt from Soren, the ball came flying towards Ashaka. Looking lost, he looked over to me.

“Hit it.” I said, grinning as he did just that. Though not particularly impressive, it got the other hatchlings to squeal in delight. As if by magic, Ashaka suddenly raced into the fray, nerves forgotten.

I checked the gate was closed and locked. Narrowly avoiding another ball to the head, I hurried over to the far wall, well away from their playing. I sat down with a sigh, trying not to think about anything in particular. Of course, by trying not to think about anything, I found myself fixating on what had happened earlier in the day. I couldn’t decide what hurt more. Discovering that the two people I was crushing on were together, or hearing out loud what Li really thought of me. Probably the latter. To be reduced to ‘that’, hurt. I wasn’t stupid enough to think I had much to offer anyone, but to be dismissed so casually was mortifying.

For a while I just sat there, watching the hatchlings play. There were times like this when the thoughts just became too much. I knew from experience that trying to do anything or go anywhere would make them worse. So I did nothing.

This was hardly the first time I’d been aware of how little I had to offer anyone. Nor was it the first time Li had commented on it. But lately, it was getting harder to ignore it all. Maybe I was just tired. Yeah, that was it. I was just tired, of all of it.

A loud squeal from one of the hatchlings distracted me for a moment. I smiled at them, smiling a little more widely when they waved at me. I waved back.

Prince Reynold and Kai. My smile dropped again. I leaned forward, resting my chin on one knee. As much as I didn’t want to think about it, I knew I had to. If they weren’t officially courting, they would be soon. And if I was unlucky enough to be there when they did, well I’d have to do a damn convincing job of hiding how much I hated it.

As I sat there feeling sorry for myself, Shio waddled over to me. Crawling into my lap, he snuggled in close with a low whine. Confused, I frowned at him. This wasn’t like him.

“What’s wrong?” Shio just whined again.

I looked up, only to find myself surrounded. By some unspoken cue, the rest of the hatchlings nuzzled into whatever part of me they could reach. Game forgotten, they’d all apparently decided that I was their new game. I couldn’t find it in myself to protest, though I did lie back, giving them more room to snuggle in close. I closed my eyes briefly, just enjoying their warmth.

I’d fallen asleep. That was the first thing I was aware of, when I opened my eyes again. Sprawled around me, the hatchlings continued to sleep as well, letting out the occasional whine or snuffle. Trying to get my thoughts together, I made to sit up, only to freeze. There was a blanket on me. That had definitely not been there before. So who…? Wait… were those teeth marks?

A chirp sounded on my left. I turned and found myself facing Soren. Letting out a delighted squeal, he pounced on me, clearly ecstatic I was awake. With a yelp, I rolled onto my side, narrowly avoiding a hit to the groin. Breathing a sigh of relief, I sat up, pulling Soren into my arms. Content, Soren snuggled in close. Even now it amazed me just how affectionate the hatchlings could be.

“I fell asleep?” I asked, not really expecting an answer.

Soren chirped in agreement.

“And the blanket?” I asked.

This time, Soren turned around to gesture over towards an orange hatchling; Blaze.

“Just Blaze?” I asked. Soren shook his head before gesturing near my feet. There, sprawled on her back, was Rin.

“Rin too?” Soren nodded.

“Well tell them thank you.” I said to him. Under my breath I added: “And let’s hope no one walked in on us.”

“Doing what?”

I swear my heart leapt out of my chest. Jumping out of my skin, I scrambled up to see Loren grinning at me from the gate.

“Doing what?” He repeated, looking smug.

Wary, I went over to him. On my way I did a quick head count, relieved to find all hatchlings, including Ashaka, accounted for.

“Regretting my life choices.” I replied.

He nodded. “Which ones?” He asked, like I was being serious.

I shrugged. “All the ones I made today at least.” It hadn’t been a fun day.

“Why? What’d you do?” At my signal, he finally came inside.

“Well…I woke up for one.” He snorted at that. “To this lot in my bed.”

He started laughing. “They’re like your own personal bodyguards. Good luck trying to get any with this lot around.”

“Asshole.” I shoved him half-heartedly. Unfortunately, he’d hit the nail on the head. And it wasn’t making me feel any better.

“You okay?” As if realising he’d crossed a line, Loren looked concerned. “I was just kidding around.” He added, as though I didn’t already know that.

I shrugged. “I know.” I didn’t say anymore.

There was an awkward pause before he tried again. “You want to talk about it?”

I shook my head.

“Someone’s gonna ask you.” He gave me a pointed look. “Even with an army of baby dragons to fight them off.”

I smiled, I couldn’t help it. The image that conjured was too funny not to smile.

“No think about it. Anyone crazy enough to go through a hoard of hatchlings, just to ask you a question, is either not right in the head or head over heels for you.”

That was a fair point.

“And then there’s Master Kon. Think about it. The hatchlings are one thing. Master Kon is another. But together? No one would risk going up against both of them if they weren’t being serious.”

It was a nice thought. But it was a little too accurate. That was the problem; no one was ever going to risk them both. Not for me.

Frowning at me, Loren turned to the hatchlings who by now had woken up. Though most were upright, there were a few still sprawled on their backs, looking up at us with sleepy eyes.

“What do you guys think? If someone came to ask to court Phoenix, you’d be happy for him, right?”

Silence. Then all of a sudden I found myself swarmed by wailing hatchlings.

“Apparently not.” Loren said, looking perplexed.

“Thanks.” I glared at him, crouching down to try and calm them.

Stood off to the side, Ashaka stared at the spectacle in front of him. Looking nervous, he shifted uneasily from side to side. Sighing, I held a hand out and beckoned him over. Taking cues from the other hatchlings, he too buried his head behind my knee. Though thankfully he didn’t start wailing.

I glared at Loren again for good measure. He just chuckled nervously.

“Hey, come on. I’m sorry! Don’t worry, no one’s courting anyone.” He gave me an apologetic look.

It didn’t help much. Though the hatchlings stopped their wailing, they continued to cling to me. A few, feeling brave, lifted their heads long enough to send teary eyed glares Loren’s way.

Loren took a step back. Chuckling nervously, he nodded at me.

“I’m just gonna go.” He told me, looking sheepish.

“Sure. Abandon me now.” For some reason, that set the hatchlings off again and a new round of wailing began anew.

Cursing under my breath, I missed Loren leaving, trying in vain to get the hatchlings to calm down. Distracted by them, I didn’t realise we had company until I finally got them to stop wailing.

“You’re good with them.”

I cursed loudly, spinning around on the spot. “Don’t do that!” I hissed, paling immediately after it became clear the visitor wasn’t just another worker. “Your Highness?” I swallowed, bowing low. “Forgive me.” I added. Not that I expected it to do much.

First the Prince and now the King? Today was easily the strangest day I’d ever lived.

His Majesty chuckled. “At ease. My apologies for startling you.” I didn’t dare to breathe. “And how is our newest addition?”

Ashaka lifted his head up, squealing loudly. Though the rest still looked upset, for reasons I didn’t quite understand, he seemed absolutely delighted. Perhaps he thought this was just a strange game we were playing?

“Good!” His Majesty chuckled again. “And the rest?” He looked around perplexed, as if just noticing the solemn mood.

“They’re fine. Just, one of the guards was teasing them. They uh, didn’t take it well.” The next time I saw Loren, I was going to throttle him.

His Majesty nodded, looking contemplative. “I see.”

Without warning, Shio let go of me. Shuffling forward, he began waving his claws around as he explained what had happened through a series of squeals, hisses and whines. His Majesty just watched him, nodding along every so often and humming in agreement. I was too stunned to do anything but stare at them both, like an idiot.

“Courting?” That one word sent an icy shiver down my spine.

There was no way His Majesty could have gotten that word from the gestures Shio was trying to make. Did he…did he understand Shio? If he did, I was screwed. And not in a good way.

“I see. So who do you want to court him?” His Majesty looked over at me, giving me a curious look. Shio whined. His Majesty tutted in disapproval. “What do you mean no one? You want him to be alone? Forever?”

A pause.

Finally, looking down at the floor, Shio whined again and shook his head.

“But you don’t want anyone to court him. If nobody courts him, he’ll be all alone.”

Shio whined, gesturing to himself and the others who clung even tighter to my legs.

“He’ll have you? You and the other hatchlings?”

Shio nodded.

“And who else will he have.” His Majesty asked.

Shio paused, obviously trying to think. Finally, he gestured once more.

“A guard?” His Majesty turned to me for explanation.

“Loren. A friend.” His Majesty nodded in understanding.

“And who else?” He turned back to Shio.

Shio thought about it. And then thought some more. Finally, he gestured again.

“Master Kon?”

I blinked. His Majesty understood that?

“I see. Anyone else?”

Shio thought again. A few minutes passed. I shifted awkwardly. Finally, he shook his head. I could feel my face growing hot.

It wasn’t like it was a lie, I knew I’d never been very good at being social. But it was embarrassing to realise just how limited my social circle was. Today had been an exception, one that left me stressed and humiliated. And it wasn’t like Kai or Prince Reynold or Drace or even Leon were friends. Hell, I’d only met the latter today, and the other two were…no. I wasn’t going to think about what they were.

“So one friend and one Master. And what if this friend starts courting someone? That’ll just leave Master Kon, and you know he’s a very busy man.” Shio whined at that. “What then? He’ll be all alone again.”

I flinched at that. I don’t think either of them saw, but I think the other hatchlings might have noticed. A few of them looked up at me, giving me curious looks. I shook my head at them, hoping they’d keep quiet. The last thing I wanted was to draw more attention to myself.

Shio just stood there, staring up at His Majesty. Finally, after a long tense moment, he looked down at the ground. He gave one final whine before scampering over to bury his head into my legs.

His Majesty chuckled. “Food for thought.” He told me. I nodded, though I didn’t quite understand what he meant.

An awkward silence stretched between us. Finally, His Majesty gave a short nod. “Well I see the new hatchling-”

“Ashaka.” I interrupted.

“-Ashaka, is settling in well. I’ll be seeing your mother now.” He smiled at Ashaka who gave a curious whine.

“You came to see him first?” I asked. I winced as once again, I spoke without thinking. That was going to get me killed one of these days. Fortunately, His Majesty didn’t appear offended by the question. You never knew with royalty.

“Indeed. And why not? If my son can come and visit, despite his many duties, then so can I.” He gave me a pointed look, though I couldn’t understand why. Did he think I had something to do with his son coming to see the hatchlings? Wait, did he not know about Prince Reynold and Kai?

I nodded, making sure to keep my mouth firmly shut this time. Though I was pretty sure the two were together, or would be soon, I didn’t want to risk saying anything about it. It was none of my business to begin with.

“Well then, I thank you all for letting this old man pay a visit.”

Wisely, I remained silent and bowed deeply. Hearing His Majesty chuckle, I realised the hatchlings were doing the same. I winced. Hopefully, like the others, His Majesty found it endearing at this age.

His Majesty took his lead, closely followed by another two men I assumed to be advisors or bodyguards. Strange, I hadn’t even noticed they were there.

Finally alone, I collapsed to the ground with a groan. Now strangely calm, the hatchlings just watched me.

“Go play.” I ordered, gesturing towards the toy box. I couldn’t deal with them just now. I had to think.

They whined, clearly unhappy. Well so was I. “Go on.” I repeated. “Please?” I added when they refused to move. Finally they did as I asked, though they lacked their usual cheer.

Aggravated, I covered my face with my hands, trying to make sense of what had just happened. How was it even possible for so many things to happen in just one day? I found myself dreading what could be coming next. I was already exhausted, and I’d missed lunch. Tired and hungry, I wanted nothing more than to hide in my room. Of course I couldn’t. Not with this lot in tow. We’d certainly get caught.

I groaned again, causing the hatchlings to stop what they were doing. “Right.” I said out loud. “Who wants to go to the gardens?” I asked.

Suddenly, the hatchlings’ cheer had been restored.

The gardens were just that. Situated at the back of the palace, on the opposite side of the Dragon’s Keep, they were popular amongst the nobility and often used as a place to be seen. Exactly the kind of place a mere worker might go to hide. Now was the height of the season, which meant they’d surely be bursting with flowers and life. The ideal place for the hatchlings to run around without getting into too much trouble.

The only risk was running into the nobility. The gardens would be crawling with them, considering they were a popular spot for courting couples to go on walks and picnics. Not that I cared. It was one of the few good things about being me. The nobles all knew me by reputation. They knew I posed absolutely no threat to anyone’s chances. To most, I was just another figure in the background. To a rare few I was the poor guy stuck babysitting a group of fire-breathing toddlers, and to a handful, I was a friendly yet harmless face. So yes, the gardens were the perfect place for me to hide.

It looked to be late afternoon by the time we arrived in the gardens. As expected, I could see nobles scattered about here and there, no doubt enjoying the scenery. I ushered the hatchlings past quickly, trying to keep them from wandering off until we made it to where I wanted to be.

We made it with little fuss, to a somewhat enclosed field within the gardens. Partially hidden by the nearby maze, not many people tended to come this way. Which made it an ideal spot for the hatchlings to run around and enjoy the grass. As soon as I gave the signal, they were off. Blaze hung back, apparently explaining how things worked to Ashaka. I smiled at them both, already feeling less tense than I had been before.

Finally, I could breathe. I sat down on the grass, watching the hatchlings run after one another with glee. With the events from earlier apparently forgotten, in favour of playing, exploring and enjoying the flowers, I could relax. With enough to distract them, I hoped the hatchlings would tire themselves out. The day’s events had already left me exhausted, not helped by the fact that I’d missed lunch. Though I knew I’d have to go to dinner, I decided to stop that thought in its tracks. That was a problem for future me to deal with. I’d already dealt with enough today. Now was my time to relax.

A sudden wave of dizziness hit me. Shit. I’d only missed one meal and I was already feeling the effects. Another wave of dizziness hit and I lay down. Closing my eyes, I waited for it to pass. When it stopped, I breathed a sigh of relief.

I opened my eyes again to keep an eye on the hatchlings. Thankfully they were busy amusing themselves. Both Soren and Blaze had taken to showing Ashaka around the garden, pointing out different plants and explaining what they were. The rest were running around, playing some kind of game.

I continued watching the hatchlings, ignoring distant cheers from the nobles. I assumed yet another couple had announced courtship, or perhaps they too were playing a game of their own. Though with how late it was in the afternoon, I doubted it was the latter.

“Oh!” Someone, I assumed one of the nobles, had found us. Muttering a curse under my breath, I pushed myself up in order to greet them with a smile. God forbid I do any less than that. I’d heard tales of workers who’d done less and paid the price.

Poking her head around the corner was a young woman, accompanied by her partner; a man probably ten years her senior. With her hand over her mouth, it was obvious she’d expected no one else to be here, probably hoping to enjoy her partner’s company without nosy nobles watching their every mood. Well unfortunately for them both, we weren’t going anywhere.

“I’m so sorry! We didn’t think anyone would come this way. Oh, but look how happy they look darling. Aren’t they adorable?” The woman turned to her partner, batting her eyes at him. He smiled down at her indulgingly.

“Adorable. But not as adorable as you my sweet.” He crooned back. I hid my face behind my hair so they wouldn’t see the face I was making.

Noticing the newcomers, the hatchlings raced over. Squealing and wagging their tails, they sat at the young couple’s feet eagerly. Clearly they were hoping to play.

The young woman giggled, crouching down to scratch their foreheads, her partner soon crouching down to do the same. “Oh, aren’t you all lovely?” She cooed. The hatchlings nodded in agreement, looking smug.

After a few moments, the man stood. “Darling, if we don’t leave now, we’ll be late.” She pouted at that, but obeyed.

“Oh what a shame. I would have loved to play with them. Is…is it alright to play with them?” She asked, only justrealising she might need to ask for permission. They weren’t her hatchlings after all.

“Of course milady. There aren’t many who have the time to come and play with them, so it is a rare treat for them.” I told her, standing up.

Another wave of dizziness hit and I swallowed hard. Thankfully, it didn’t look like either of them had noticed. Though a curious whine from Kima suggested he had.

“Are you alright?” The man suddenly asked, staring straight at me.

Stunned, I blinked a few times. He continued to stare. “I’m fine milord. Why do you ask?”

He frowned at me. Wait…why did he look familiar?

“I’ve dabbled in healing before and you were looking a little unsteady just now.” He remarked.

Shit. This was Lord Rogarth. Dabbled in healing my ass, he was their leader! He’d been taught by the King’s finest healers. I knew this because the last time I’d woken up in the healers’ halls, the new hires hadn’t shut up about him.

“I’m fine milord.” As if to contradict me, another wave of dizziness hit. I grit my teeth in frustration.

“You know I suspected it was you, given the hatchlings, but now I know for certain.” He said. I frowned in confusion. “Your name is Phoenix.” I winced, confirming it. “My healers have told tales about you, about the complete disregard you seem to have for your own health.”

I remained silent. Unfortunately, he had a point. But in my defence, I usually had a good reason for it. Usually.

“When did you last eat?” He asked. At his side, the young woman sighed, apparently used to his behavior.

“Breakfast.” I admitted. Why did I feel guilty all of a sudden? “I fell asleep earlier and missed lunch.” I added, at the unimpressed look he sent me.

“With the hatchlings?” He asked. As if I’d have gone back to my room for a nap. I didn’t always take good care of myself, sure. But I did take care of them.

“Yes. In their stall.” The young woman at his side looked at me like I was mad.

Lord Rogarth chuckled at that. “So the tales are true. You really do everything with them. And when things change, what then?”

Change? What change? Did he mean about Prince Reynold and Kai? But wait, no. That didn’t make any sense. Did he already know about them? Wait, even if he did, why would their relationship affect the hatchlings? That’s what he was talking about, wasn’t it? Something with the hatchlings would change?

Seeing my face, Master Rogarth chuckled again. “I see. You really don’t know.”

“Darling!” The young woman sounded scandalised, interrupting whatever he’d been about to say next.

Know what? What didn’t I know? Why would you say something like that and then not tell them what you meant?

“I’m sorry honey. You’re right.”

Right? Right about what?

“Forgive me, I was mistaken.” He said, looking at me.

Mistaken about what? Then I saw it, a small smirk. He was making fun of me, wasn’t he? Before I could forget myself, I clenched my teeth. Whatever his game was, I wasn’t interested in playing.

“Be sure to eat dinner tonight. And no more skipping meals.” He advised, changing the subject.

I stared at him, full of questions. But I knew my place. I couldn’t just demand he answer them.

“When will you bring the hatchlings back here?” The young woman asked.

I blinked. “I…don’t know milady. Today wasn’t planned. Perhaps sometime next week if the weather is good.” She nodded, satisfied.

“Then I hope to see you all then.” She smiled down at the hatchlings, waving at them. She squealed in delight as a few of them sat down so they could wave back. “Thank you for indulging us.” She added.

It took a moment for me to realise she was talking to me. I quickly nodded in response. “Of course milady.” I replied.

With that, the pair took their leave, waving to the hatchlings as they departed. The hatchlings whined as they left, though they all made an effort to wave back.

The moment they left, I collapsed onto the ground with a groan. Today was by far the strangest day I’d ever experienced. Why, all of a sudden, were so many people talking to me? Most days I could get by with talking to no one but the hatchlings, the Masters and Loren. Perhaps some of the workers if necessary. But today? Today I’d spoken with royalty, nobles, masters, riders and guards. In one day I’d encountered almost every rank in the palace’s social hierarchy. It was baffling.

The hatchlings resumed their game from earlier, though a few cast looks towards the corner the couple had disappeared behind. Clearly they were hoping someone else would find us. Thankfully, no one did.

After a couple of hours, and many games later, I heard agong sound in the distance. It was dinner time. The hatchlings looked up eagerly, wagging their tails in anticipation.

“Right. Time to eat.” I told them. They needed no instruction.

As I stood, they all hurried into line. Running a little behind the others, Ashaka peeked out from the back of the line, as if making sure he was doing it right. I smiled at him, nodding. He squealed back at me.

By this time, when we walked back through the gardens, there was almost no one to be seen. Aside from a couple of guards at the far end, we were alone. No doubt the nobles had retired so they could change for dinner. Aware of the time, I ushered the hatchlings through the gardens quickly. By the time we arrived back at the hatchling’s stalls, I was starving.

Inside their stall, the hatchlings’ food was already waiting for them. I let them in, closing the gate behind them. With a wave goodbye, I headed towards the mess hall.

The hall was already packed when I arrived. I slipped inside, relieved when Max waved me over, having saved me a seat.

“Have you heard the latest gossip?” He asked me, as soon as I sat down.

I shook my head, leaning forward to bury my head in my arms. “I’m listening.” I told him.

“Prince Reynold is planning to propose courtship to someone.” He was interrupted by another worker, a young woman with long red hair.

I yawned, covering my mouth with my hand. “Oh that. Yeah I heard about that.” It was becoming a struggle to stay awake. But why? I’d even taken a nap earlier.

“You did?” Max asked me, surprised.

“He came to see the hatchlings, the newest one. Kai asked him, he told us.” Around me, all conversation stopped.

I blinked. Suddenly I was being flanked on all sides from people desperate for any information I could give.

“Wait, really? Did he say who?” Max asked, eyes wide.

“Did he say when?” The woman added, leaning in.

I shook my head. Before I could let anything else slip, I bit my tongue and counted to five. “He didn’t say anything else about it. Didn’t even confirm the rumor was true. Just asked if we thought it was true.” Not entirely accurate, but I couldn’t do that to Kai. If they found out what I knew about their relationship, they’d tear him apart.

Around me, the others deflated. Obviously they’d been hoping for more.

“So if we ask Kai he’ll say the same as you?” Another worker asked, looking at me suspiciously.

I scowled at him, trying to keep any hint of panic from my face. “If you don’t believe me, you can go ask him yourself.” As soon as I said it, I regretted it. Why did I have to say that?

“Ask who what?” A voice spoke from behind me. Kai. Shit.

“Is it true Prince Reynold told you he was planning to court someone?” The woman asked.

I winced, trying to ignore the look I was sure Kai was sending at my back.

“It is.” He sounded irritated.

“Who?” She asked.

A hand came down on my shoulder. I jumped, my heart clawing its way up my throat.

“Aren’t you supposed to be eating?” Kai asked. “Phoenix?” He added, when I didn’t respond. Apparently he was just going to ignore her question.

“I am. I mean I will.” I said, finally sitting up and looking at him.

“Then do it.” He squeezed my shoulder, hard, before leaving. Yeah, he was pissed. Shit.

The rest of the table watched him leave. When he was out of sight, they continued their discussion from earlier. Thankfully, most were ignoring me in favour of deciding who Prince Reynold would court. Seeing as no one was paying me attention, I started filling my plate. I no longer had much appetite, but I knew I needed to eat.

As I ate, I listened to their theories. Most were adamant that Prince Reynold would be courting a noble. A few suspected it might be another royal from another kingdom and only a couple believed it could be one of the riders. I did my best not to react when that one came up in conversation.

“Who do you think it is?” Max asked, nudging me in the side.

I swallowed another spoonful of soup and shrugged. “Probably a noble. Someone he sees a lot of” I answered.

Max nodded in agreement before turning to speak to one of the other workers. Thank god.

I finished eating quickly, eager to leave. Being surrounded by so many people always put me on edge. And after today, being around people was the last thing I wanted. After making sure the others were distracted, I got up and left. When no one tried to call me back, I breathed a sigh of relief.

I headed back towards the hatchlings’ stall to check on them before bed. It wasn’t late, but after the day I’d had, I needed to just hide away for a while.

The hatchlings greeted me with swollen bellies. Already yawning, a few of them had laid down in their nest; a large pile of straw in the far corner of the stall. I ushered the rest into the nest, watching as they snuggled in close to one another. Suddenly, Shio whined, reaching out a claw towards me.

“Blanket?” I asked. He nodded, whining again.

I chuckled, moving over towards the toy box. Behind it were a couple of blankets. Although the hatchlings didn’t need them for warmth, they were creatures of fire after all, they still liked to sleep under them. Perhaps that’s why I kept finding them in my bed.

I pulled the blanket over the hatchlings, letting them hide under it. Though I couldn’t see their faces, I could see them squirming underneath, as they let out a few whines.

“I’ll see you in the morning.” I told them, chuckling again as one of them poked their tail out and waved it in my direction.

This time, as I left, I made sure the gate was locked. I checked it a few times just to be sure. And if the hatchlings somehow managed to break out again, well at least I knew it wasn’t my fault.

By the time I made it back to my room, I was exhausted. I collapsed into bed, barely remembering to take my shoes off, before I fell asleep.

The next morning, to my relief, I woke up alone. I grabbed my things and headed to the baths. The same old guard from yesterday was there, but he was alone. Nodding in greeting, I washed quickly and left. No riders? My day was already improving.

I made it back to my room without incident, in a good mood. As long as I didn’t think about everything that had happened yesterday, today would be fine. And surprisingly, it was.

All day I waited for something to happen. When I went to the hatchlings, I expected trouble; there was none. When I went to breakfast, aside from rumors about who Prince Reynold would be courting, it was peaceful. And when I returned to the hatchlings, no one came to visit us.

By the end of the day, I felt like smiling. Unlike yesterday, today had been uneventful. There had been no royalty, no nobility; there hadn’t even been any riders. It had just been me and the hatchlings all day. The only visitor we’d had was Loren, who’d come with lunch for me and a peace offering for the hatchlings: a shiny red ribbon tied to a stick. To anyone else, the gift would have been ridiculous. But to the hatchlings, who favoured anything bright, shiny or soft, it was the perfect combination of all three.

We spent the day in the stalls. The hatchlings were so enthralled with the ribbon, they hadn’t wanted to go anywhere else. And apart from a few squabbles here and there, they were remarkably well behaved. So by the time dinner rolled around, I was feeling good.

Dinner was surprisingly uneventful. There were no proposals, no announcements, just a lot of gossip about who Prince Reynold intended to court. Thankfully, the others left me alone, and I was free to eat in peace. Once finished, I headed back to the hatchlings, feeling optimistic that the day would end uneventfully. I should have known better.

When I arrived at the hatchlings’ stall, I noticed them all sticking their heads through the gap in the gate, staring at something. Curious yet wary, I moved closer. There, on the floor, was a package. It was only small, not even the size of a book, and wrapped in cheap cloth and string. I frowned at it, looking up at the hatchlings to see if any of them knew anything about it. They squealed when they saw me, but none of them gave any indication that they knew what it was.

“Did you see who brought it?” I asked.

Together, they shook their heads. I wasn’t surprised. They would have been too engrossed in their own dinner, to notice anything else around them.

I frowned, picking it up. It was light, much lighter than I expected. Though I knew it was futile, I looked around to see if anyone was nearby. But there was no one. I frowned again, waving the hatchlings back so I could enter their stall.

I was swarmed the minute I sat down. The hatchlings plastered themselves to my side, trying to get a better look. I ignored them, even as they squealed and whined. Instead, I checked the package all over. There was nothing to say who it was for, nor who it was from. But surely it had to be for me? Why else would they place a package by the hatchlings’ stall? Everyone knew it was where I spent most of my time. And I could see no damage to suggest it might have been dropped as someone passed.

I glanced at the hatchlings. They stared back at me, wagging their tails in anticipation. Why did I feel so nervous? I stared down at the package. I was being ridiculous. Taking a deep breath, I opened it. And as soon as I did, I regretted it.

It was a flower. A blue flower to be exact; bluebells. The flower of courtship. It was said they symbolized the wedding bells in a couple’s future.

Everyone knew that offering bluebells was a serious matter. It was not something someone did for a laugh or for a passing fancy. It was the ultimate symbol of commitment.

Around me, the hatchlings leaned in closer, examining the flower with wide eyes.

This was a joke. A cruel joke. I wasn’t laughing.

I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, the flower was still there, sitting innocently in its box. With narrow eyes, I checked the box, but there was nothing. No note, no poem, nothing that was normally associated with this kind of gift. It had to be a joke.

With shaking hands, I put the flower back in its box and re-wrapped it. It was a mistake, that’s what it was. It was meant for someone else, not me. Perhaps someone had dropped it, or stopped by to see the hatchlings and forgot to pick it up again. Yes, that was it. That must have been it.

I stood, ignoring the hatchlings’ whines. But how was I supposed to return it to whoever was looking for it? I frowned.

“They were quicker than I thought.” A voice commented behind me. I screamed, whirling around in a panic.

It was Master Kon. He watched me, clearly amused.

“Don’t do that!” I glared, clutching at my chest and breathing heavily. “Why do people keep sneaking up on me?” I complained. He chuckled at that.

“Stop making it so easy then.” He answered.

His earlier words finally registered. “Wait, what did you mean they were quicker?” I asked, frowning at him.

“With the courtship. They came and asked me you know. About courting you.” He sounded so calm. How could he be so calm?

I swallowed. My throat was suddenly parched. “Who did?” I croaked. “Why?” I added.

Master Kon gave me a strange look. “Why?” He asked. I nodded. “Well I suppose they asked me because you have no family here.” He sounded a little unsure. Maybe even a little hurt. “I know we haven’t discussed it, but I do like you. You know I have no children of my own and I-”. My eyes widened in understanding. He thought I was asking why they came to him. Not why did they want to court me.

“No! That’s not-”. I stopped. He looked at me, confused. Taking a deep breath, I continued. “Why did they ask to court me?” I asked. “Why would they want to court me?” I added.

A look of understanding crossed Master Kon’s face. Suddenly, he brightened.

“Why? Well why not?” He answered, as if it were that easy. “A lot of people like you. And the hatchlings adore you. Even His Majesty had good things to say about you.”

“He what?” I squawked. “Wh-when did you…I mean how did you…I mean…” I shook my head, trying to clear it.

Master Kon chuckled again. “We speak from time to time. We were discussing the new arrivals and he mentioned how he’d met you. He said you were good with them. And that the new hatchling had already taken to you.”

I just stared at him. I wasn’t sure how to react. Finally, I swallowed nervously. “And the others? You said they liked me?” This, I knew, was a lie. I was tolerated sure, but that was it. Aside from Loren, most were happy to ignore me unless it suited them.

“Of course! I’ll admit, not many are brave enough to face the hatchlings, but I’ve heard many good things about you.” He said it like it was common knowledge. Was it? This was the first time I was hearing of it.

I swallowed again. “Then who was it?” I asked. My muscles tensed in anticipation. “The one who asked you about courting.” I added.

He smiled at me. A gentle smile. One that I assumed was supposed to reassure me. It didn’t work.

“Which one?” He finally asked. I blinked, frowning in confusion.

“Huh?” I replied. I ran through our conversation in my mind. Was I missing something?

“Which one?” He repeated. Seeing my confusion, he added: “More than one asked for my permission to court you.” He added, as though that made things any clearer.

I just stared at him. Was he…he had to be joking. Right?

“Who?” I asked dumbly.

Master Kon just smiled and shrugged. “They’ll let you know in their own time. But they’re all people the hatchlings like.” He said, as if that narrowed it down. There were a lot of people the hatchlings liked.

I groaned, burying my face in my hands as I crouched down. A concerned whine came from my left; Rin. Another whine came from my right; Amber. I lifted my hands, only for both to immediately crawl onto my lap, snuggling in close.

“Do you know who it is?” I asked them. They both shook their heads. I sighed.

I didn’t know what to think. The idea that even one person had asked about courting me, was almost beyond my comprehension. And for there to be more than one, it just…it didn’t make sense. I knew what I had to offer; very little. I wasn’t especially smart and I certainly wasn’t handsome. I wasn’t athletic nor was I artistic. And I sure as hell wasn’t rich or powerful. Hell, the only thing interesting about me had been the hatchlings’ attachment to me. That was it. And yet, apparently, that had been enough.

“Why did you ask why they would want to court you?” Master Kon asked, all of a sudden.

I looked at him. “I’m not the courting type.” I told him. “I’m just…you know.” I gestured to myself, as if that would help explain things.

Morag growled. I turned to him, confused. Seeing me looking, he growled again. Then he nuzzled into me purposefully.

“It seems the hatchlings would disagree. As would I.” Master Kon said quietly.

I shrugged. It was different with them. The hatchlings weren’t human, they didn’t understand what courtship really meant. And with Master Kon, our relationship was friendly, even familial at times. Not romantic. They’d never looked at me with an intention to court, so how could they be so convinced I was the courting type?

“I thought you didn’t want anyone to court me?” I looked at the hatchlings. They shifted nervously under my gaze.

Shio stepped forward, like he had when His Majesty had visited. Looking guilty, he explained as best he could, giving a low, mournful whine towards the end. _I’m sorry_. Is what he said. _I didn’t mean it._

“I know.” I told him. “I just…you said more than one. How many?” I turned to Master Kon.

Master Kon only smiled. Eventually he spoke: “Exactly as I said. There are more than one. You will find out how many when they make themselves known to you. Until then, you ought to be patient. And might I suggest you don’t find yourself stumbling out of an alcove half-dressed.” He gave me a pointed look.

I gaped at him; I could feel my cheeks heating up. Embarrassed, I looked away. It wasn’t like I’d never thought about being in that sort of position. With Jace and Li exposing themselves on a near daily basis, how could I not? But that was when I was sure it would never actually happen. Except now, there was a chance it could happen. There was even a chance it would happen.

I shifted, trying to distract myself before any problems could arise. I risked glancing at Master Kon. The bastard was smirking at me, as though he knew exactly what was running through my head. I glared at him. He chuckled, smirking at me knowingly.

“I’ll see you in the morning lad. Bring the hatchlings to the training ground will you? A few of the riders have been asking to see them and the little one can see his mother again.” He said, nodding at Ashaka.

I nodded, returning my attention to the box. It was funny to think something so plain could contain something so life-changing.

Master Kon left, waving to the hatchlings on his way out. I stayed a few minutes more before standing back up with a sigh.

I moved over to the blankets. The plan was to get the hatchlings into bed before I left. Except, as soon as I bent down to pick one up, they all started whining. Apparently they didn’t want to go to bed. Well too bad for them, I did.

A sharp squeal followed by a short whine caught my attention. Breeze stared up at me and repeated the sounds, soon followed by the others. I knew those sounds. I knew all too well what they meant. And I knew, trying to change their minds was futile.

I groaned, dropping the blanket. “You wanna come to my room?”

They did.

Twenty minutes later, I was opening my room’s door, ushering nine very smug hatchlings inside.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I will be updating my other fics at some point. But I just really wanted to write this first.

As the hatchlings made themselves comfortable in my bed, I stored the flower somewhere safe. Though they seemed to understand its significance, I knew from experience that all it took was one of them to decide something that pretty had to taste delicious too. With the flower safe, I got into bed, ignoring the hatchlings grumblings.

For all their complaining, the hatchlings fell asleep quickly. Unfortunately, my mind was too full of questions to allow me the same courtesy. But sleep did eventually come.

That night, my dreams were once again strange. I heard the same voices I had before. And strangely, I heard the voice of Aurelia too. Was it her? Yes, I was sure it was her. But wait…then who did the other voices belong too? Wait…could it be? Well if it was Aurelia’s voice, could that mean the other voices were dragons too? The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. But which dragons?

I woke with a groan and a sharp pain in my side. Wincing, I sat up, just barely avoiding another kick to my side from Blaze. Well that explained why I’d woken up in the first place.

I glanced around the room, frowning at the darkness. How long was I asleep? It couldn’t have been that long. I rubbed my eyes, yawning widely. With a huff, I dragged Blaze over to one of the other hatchlings. Still asleep, he plastered himself to Soren’s back, nuzzling into his new source of warmth. I flopped back down, wincing again at the pain in my side.

I must have drifted off again because the next time I opened my eyes, it was definitely morning. A chirp right next to my ear was all the warning I got before I was ambushed. The next thing I knew, I was in a heap on the ground, half buried under a mass of squirming squealing hatchlings. Grumbling, I tried to ignore their antics as I sat up. Wincing at the twinge in my side, I hurried to my feet before any of the hatchlings could make it worse.

“Okay, okay, I’m up already.” I paused for their cheer. They didn’t disappoint me. “Right, well I’m gonna head to the baths.” As if on cue, I found myself surrounded by wagging tails and wide grins. Apparently they were coming with me, no surprise there.

I grabbed my things and ushered everyone ahead of me. Technically the hatchlings weren’t supposed to be in the baths. But as long as no one was around, especially Li and Jace, then I didn’t see the harm in it. They’d already been in the other day after all.

Of course, as it so happened, someone was around. A number of someones actually. Namely Master Omar and his men. I’m not sure which of us was more surprised to see the other. For a long moment we just stared at each other, before a loud squeal distracted us.

Ashaka, clearly delighted to see the other men, moved to the front of the hatchlings. Giving another loud squeal he waved his claws in greeting. Chuckling, Master Omar greeted him in turn, the other men following suit.

Feeling awkward, I bowed in greeting, groaning under my breath as the hatchlings followed suit.

“Don’t be shy lad. We won’t bite. The young ones are welcome to join us.” Master Omar called to me, I nodded in response.

Apparently that’s what the hatchling were waiting for because before I could say anything, they were already racing to the edge of the pool. Master Omar’s men were all too happy to lower the hatchlings into the water, much to their delight. As the hatchlings’ delighted squeals filled the air, I sank into the water myself.

“Do you normally bathe with them?” It took a minute or two for me to realise one of Master Omar’s men was talking to me.

I blinked, the combination of hot water and poor sleep was making it difficult for me to focus. “No. They’re not supposed to be in here” I admitted. On cue, the hatchlings began protesting loudly at that, some even swimming back over to me to make their displeasure known. “Well you’re not.” I winced as Kima hit my side, right on the area Blaze had kicked during the night. “Ow!”

The men laughed again.

“Then it’ll be our little secret, hmm?” Master Omar commented, reaching forward to tickle Ashaka’s exposed belly. Squealing loudly in delight, Ashaka squirmed and squeaked, clearly loving the attention. I wasn’t surprised when the other hatchlings joined them, obviously hoping for the same treatment.

“He seems to be settling in nicely.”

I nodded as Ashaka let out another loud squeal, before nuzzling into Master Omar’s hand. Then, to my surprise he came swimming over to me to do the same.

“Having fun?” Ashaka squealed again. The others joined in until it sounded like our very own hatchling choir.

Eventually they quieted, contenting themselves with chasing each other and dragging Master Omar and his men into the fray. Aside from the occasional war cry and some cheering, it was relatively peaceful. Enough so that I was finally able to relax, without worrying about the hatchlings getting into even more mischief.

“What the hell are they doing in the pool?”

Instinctively, I sunk further into the water. I didn’t need to turn around to know it was Jace. When I didn’t hear another snide comment, I risked checking to see if he was alone. He was. Thank god.

The hatchlings froze, before Shio, staring straight at the newcomer, purposely swam towards me. He let out a squeak before turning around and swimming back to the others, his tail swishing behind him as he kicked his little legs.

“I think it’s the breaststroke.” Apparently that wasn’t the answer Jace was looking for, judging by the glare he sent me.

“Why are they here?” He glared at me, pausing to nod sharply at Master Omar and his men.

“I’m afraid that’s my fault lad. I sent one of my men to see if the hatchlings would like to join us. We leave shortly and I wanted to be sure the little one was enjoying himself.” Master Omar tickled Ashaka’s belly once more, only to be mobbed by the others wanting the same. “I apologise if I’ve caused any upset.”

I watched Jace, wary of what he might be about to do. Thankfully, with one last glare towards me, he simply huffed and climbed into the pool, making a point to stay as far away from us as possible.

“Just keep them on your side.”

I nodded, deciding it was probably best to keep quiet. As if on cue, the hatchlings suddenly let out a chorus of squeals as they waved him off. Strangely, Jace paused, giving them a funny look. Then with another glare at me, he spun around and settled himself at the opposite end of the pool.

“He either really doesn’t like you or he likes you a little too much.” Master Omar commented, watching Jace sink under the water.

“It’s the former” I answered. “He’s always like that.” I turned away from Jace, doing my best to ignore him.

For some reason, Master Omar snorted, as though he found my reply funny. I ignored him too. Nobles had a strange sense of humor, I knew that well enough.

A nudge at my side caught my attention. Rin chirped at me before nuzzling into my side. She looked purposely towards the entrance before chirping once more.

“Time to go?” She squealed in confirmation.

“Ah yes, I hear you’ll be taking the little ones to meet Aurelia, correct?”

“Yes milord.”

Hearing his mother’s name, Ashaka squealed loudly before zooming over to the edge of the pool. Flapping his wings, he tried in vain to climb out of the pool himself. Whining in frustration, Ashaka turned and gave us all a pitiful look, adding another whine for good measure. But before I could move towards him, I was beaten to it by a rather disgruntled looking Jace.

“There. Happy?” Jace hoisted Ashaka out of the pool, receiving a loud squeal and nuzzle to his cheek in return. I just barely managed to keep my mouth shut, but apparently some of Master Omar’s men had no such qualms.

“Aww, he likes you.” One of them called out. I could see Jace twitching from here.

Wisely, I kept my distance from Jace as I began hoisting the hatchlings out of the pool. Surprisingly, Master Omar and his men helped me, though not without sneaking in a few belly scratches. Once everyone was out, I hoisted myself out. I could hear the other men snickering as some of the hatchlings tried to help pull me out, clearly thinking they were helping. At least I hoped that was why they were snickering.

Finally out, I turned just as Amber and Rin, my girls, waddled over with my towel. Beaming at me they held it out, nuzzling into me as I thanked them. Once again I tried to ignore the men as they audibly cooed at the sight. Embarrassed, I began ushering the hatchlings out. It took a lot longer than it should, with the way they kept turning around every few steps to wave back at the men.

“Oi! You going to see the golden?” Jace suddenly called out, glaring at me. Perplexed, I stopped walking and turned around. I nodded sharply, shifting uncomfortably as Jace continued to stare at me. Finally after a long pause, long enough for even the hatchlings to give questioning chirps, Jace nodded. “Good. I’ll see you there.” With that said, he turned his back, obviously done with the conversation.

I ignored the hatchlings’ whines and the men’s stares. Casting one last look at Jace, I shook my head to clear it. I wasn’t sure what he was up to, this was the closest he’d come to acting nice in all of the time that I’d known him. But I knew better than to question it. Riders were strange, this was just more proof of that.

With no more interruptions, we left. As the hatchlings shook themselves dry, before engaging in a small tug of war with my discarded towel, I dressed quickly. Wringing as much water out of my hair as I could, I declined Morag’s oh so kind offer to try and dry it for me. Past experience had taught me that the hatchling’s control over their inner fire was not nearly as good as they liked to think it was. Thankfully, aside from some burnt hair, I hadn’t been injured by their kind gesture. But it had certainly been embarrassing trying to explain the whole thing to the healers.

I grabbed my things and ushered the hatchlings back to my room. Dropping my stuff off inside, I noticed the time. Breakfast time. As I relayed this to the hatchlings they perked up. Wagging their tails, they raced ahead of me, eager to return to their stall and eat. After dropping them off at their stall, I headed over to the mess hall.

I ate breakfast quickly and left as soon as I was done. Satisfied, I made my way over to the hatchlings’ stall. The hatchlings were waiting for me eagerly; bellies full and tails wagging excitedly. When they saw me they cheered and pawed at the gate, all eager to leave and start their newest adventure. While this wasn’t the first time they’d seen the adult dragons, it was rare for them to have more than a few minutes with the adults. Today would be a rare treat, especially for Ashaka who was obviously excited to be reunited with his mother.

Together, we made our way to the heart of the Dragon’s Keep. Known as the training yard, it was a large courtyard; half field and half stone, that was used for training practice; flying, attacking and such. Not that the hatchlings would be taking part in any of those things. At least not if I could help it.

Waiting for us by the entrance of the training field was Master Kon. As we arrived, he greeted us with a smile and a wave, which the hatchlings happily returned. Chuckling at the sight, he told us to follow him to the far side of the field.

There she was; Aurelia. With the sun shining down on her, her scales were a sight to behold. So bright and shiny that I found myself shielding my eyes to avoid being blinded. To my amazement, Ashaka didn’t immediately go running off to his mother. Instead, he stayed with the group, perhaps intimidated by the other adult dragons that were watching us.

Only when we were close did Ashaka look up at me, pleadingly. Smiling, I nodded and chuckled as he immediately gave into temptation. Bounding over to his mother, he squealed and immediately nuzzled into her belly. The rest of the hatchlings hung back. Watching curiously, but not yet daring to get too close.

After a few minutes, the two separated, though Ashaka remained at his mother’s side. Then, as if remembering he hadn’t come alone, Ashaka invited the other hatchlings over. The hatchlings glanced my way, clearly excited but a little unsure. I nodded, smiling reassuringly. That was all they needed to move forward.

Taking turns, each of the hatchlings stepped forward to greet Aurelia. Letting out soft whines as she nuzzled each of them, they moved out of line with wide smiles and wagging tails. At her side, Ashaka stood proudly, his little tail wagging all the while.

Distracted by the hatchlings, I didn’t notice we had guests until a heavy weight pressed against my legs. Glancing down, I froze as my eyes met those of an emerald youngling; no longer a hatchling but not yet an adult dragon. Chirping at me, the youngling flicked its tongue out in greeting. It was a funny thing to see, but it was how they judged strangers. It was said they could actually taste a person’s emotions and intentions. Though I was skeptical as to whether that was actually true.

“Hello” I said. I wasn’t sure how else to react.

_Hello._

When a strange voice echoed through my mind, I shook my head. Clearly I was imagining things. At my feet, the youngling tilted its head in curiosity before it began pawing at me as though it wanted to be lifted up. I shook my head, ignoring its whine. While I was able to pick up the hatchlings with no trouble, the younglings were another matter. With their weight and height, not far from my own, I would no doubt injure myself if I tried lifting one of them.

Feeling sorry for it, I crouched down and tickled its chin. Trilling loudly, it flopped over onto its back, squirming in anticipation. I gave in, chuckling as the youngling submitted to a belly scratch. Then without warning, I found myself surrounded by younglings. Startled, I abandoned the belly scratch and stood quickly, to avoid being trampled on.

“Sorry! Sorry!” A woman came running over to us. “We were supposed to be training but they just took off.”

Noticing the commotion, the hatchlings let out squeals as they caught sight of the younglings. Abandoning Aurelia, who only let out a soft snort, they raced over to jump on whichever youngling was nearest to them. Ignoring the humans entirely, the dragons played, letting out squeals and trills as they took advantage of this rare opportunity.

I watched them play for a while, then noticed the woman staring at me. I looked at her, waiting for her to speak.

“Ah, sorry for staring. It’s just…you are Phoenix, right?” I blinked then nodded. She smiled. “I thought so. The riders have mentioned you before.” Unsure of how to react to that, I just nodded again.

“Oi!” A shout from across the field provided a welcome distraction. Immediately the hatchlings and younglings stilled as we watched some riders and dragons make their way across the field.

Was that Leon? I squinted, trying to get a better look at the man waving at us. It was!

The hatchlings waited with wide eyes and wagging tails. When the group got close enough, they turned to me with pleading eyes, begging me to let them go. Unable to resist, I nodded once. That was all of the permission they needed. They took off like a shot, the younglings close behind them.

The riders laughed delightedly as they were swarmed by hatchlings and younglings alike. A few crouched down to pick up the hatchlings, cooing over how cute they were. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed some movement. I scowled.

“Morag, don’t even think about it!” I called out, causing said hatchling to freeze. Morag whined, even as he obediently climbed down the green dragon’s leg. The dragon in question turned to snort at him, then nuzzled him when Morag looked suitably chastised.

I shook my head, exasperated, as Morag waddled back over to me. Letting out a chirp, he looked all too pleased with himself. Behind him, the adult dragon snorted again.

A head suddenly appeared next to mine, startling me. Stumbling back, I turned to see an amethyst dragon staring at the hatchlings curiously. Noticing my stares, it turned my way and gave a friendly chirp. I nodded in greeting.

Morag stared up at this new dragon, before rushing forward so he could nuzzle into its belly. Exasperated, I was prepared to move him, but the amethyst dragon only shook its head at me. Letting out a low trilling sound, it nuzzled Morag much like a mother dragon and its hatchling. But of course Morag was a green dragon. The two couldn’t be related. Still, it didn’t stop them from acting as though they were family. I suppose they were in a sense. From what I’d seen, most dragons were eager to claim any and all hatchlings as their own. These two were no exception.

To my surprise, Ashaka came running over to me. Ignoring the others as they played with the riders, he gripped my leg with his claws. Trying in vain to pull me along, he whined unhappily when I wouldn’t move.

“If you want me to move, you need to ask. Don’t just start pulling me. Understand?” I chided gently.

Looking surprised, as though the thought never occurred to him, Ashaka looked up and gave a solemn nod. But a second later he was smiling again, waving his claws as he asked me to follow him. I glanced over at the others, and seeing they were still occupied, I agreed.

Glancing back at me every few steps, Ashaka led me to his mother. With a whine, he nuzzled into her belly. Then he stepped back and pointed a claw at me. Letting out a chirp, he sat down, apparently satisfied.

Aurelia snorted at her hatchling, looking amused. Then she turned to face me. Nervous, I remained still before remembering my manners. I bowed hastily. When she bowed in turn, I just stared in shock. Dragons were not creatures who bowed easily to others; my hatchlings excluded. They were prideful creatures who only submitted to those they trusted.

At her feet, Ashaka squealed, clearly delighted. He ran to me once more, nuzzling into my legs before returning to his mother with a satisfied chirp.

“He seems happy.” Drace suddenly appeared next to me. Hearing him, Ashaka squealed again before nuzzling into his mother’s belly.

“Very happy.” I agreed. Drace smiled.

“You busy?” Drace asked. I glanced over at the hatchlings. They were still playing with the others, so I shook my head. “Good. I want to introduce you to someone.”

I followed Drace over to where a group of adult dragons were waiting. They all seemed fascinated by the hatchlings, though none of them tried getting any closer to them. Apparently they were content with just watching the youngsters play with their riders.

“This is my partner; Nuri.” Drace introduced, smiling at the red dragon. She snorted at him, refusing to look away from the hatchlings. I had to smile. It was clear she was besotted by them, as were most of the adult dragons.

“Hey, remember what we talked about?” Drace leaned into her, speaking quietly. Still, Nuri refused to look away for more than a few seconds.

“You wanna meet them?” I asked. She glanced at me, looking startled. Finally she nodded.

“Shio!” I called out. He came racing over, panting lightly. Predictably, the other hatchlings soon followed, leaving behind a group of disappointed riders behind.

Shio chirped, sitting down at my feet. His siblings quickly followed his lead. To my surprise, the younglings had joined them, copying the hatchlings. I looked up to see the woman from earlier trying to hold back a smile. It wasn’t working.

I crouched down, smiling at them. “These guys wanted to meet you.” I explained, pointing at the adult dragons who stared down at the hatchlings with wide eyes. “Can you introduce yourselves?” I asked. They all nodded.

One by one, they stood and said their names. For some it was merely a chirp, for others it could be a squeal or a growl. It really depended on the pronunciation. To my surprise, as soon as the hatchlings were done, the younglings followed. I glanced up at the woman again, whose name I really needed to learn. She only smiled indulgently, shaking her head a little when she saw me looking at her. Well if she didn’t see a problem with it, I wasn’t going to say anything.

Then it was the riders’ turn to introduce themselves and their dragons. One by one, they stepped forward in pairs. They bowed once and spoke their names clearly. I tried to suppress a smile whenever the hatchlings tried to repeat their names. Their high pitched squealing just didn’t have the same impact as the deep growls, trills and hisses that the adult dragons gave. Still, they tried their best. And I could tell that the dragons were flattered by their efforts.

“Some of the riders have prepared a little something for the hatchlings.” Master Kon explained to me, quietly. I nodded. Master Kon looked over to one of the riders; Hans, who nodded.

“Right then. Now here on the field we want to be strong, we want to be fast. So how do we do that?” Hans asked. The hatchlings and younglings tilted their heads, chirping curiously. Without missing a beat, he said “By training. We practice flying and fighting every day. We train and train to get stronger and faster!” Clearly excited, Hans was doing his best to get the younger dragons excited too. It was definitely working.

I watched as the hatchlings squirmed. Their little tails wagged furiously as they hung onto his every word. Hans grinned. I looked down at the ground, trying to distract myself from certain thoughts. It wasn’t my fault these riders were so unfairly attractive.

Kima whined, cocking his head as he asked his question. Hans smiled, glancing up at me. I crouched down and asked Kima to repeat himself. He did, continuing to look at Hans.

“Ah, yes. What is this training?” I asked. “Can you show us?” Hans shot me a grateful look before addressing Kima directly.

“Of course. That’s what we’re going to do today. We’re going to get you guys to do a little training with us. Okay?”

The hatchlings cheered. I could tell they still didn’t really understand what was meant by training, but seeing Hans so excited had convinced them that this training thing must be something good.

“Great! Okay, so here we have some toys we use for training.” Hans explained, as Leon and another rider brought over a sack. Judging by the snort one of the dragons gave, I doubted that was true. But of course the hatchlings and even the younglings became even more excited.

Everyone, dragons and riders alike, began leaning in close to try and get a look. When they were finally revealed, everyone let out gasps and hisses of delight. Inside the sack was a collection of shiny balls, ribbons and hoops. There were also poles attached to wooden boards. Unable to help themselves, Morag and Blaze tried to dive forward. But surprisingly, Shio and Rin grabbed them, holding them back. Naturally, they began arguing. Apparently the temptation of so many toys was just too much for them to resist.

I moved to stop them, only for a tail to block my path. Confused, I watched as the green and amethyst dragons from earlier moved over to the hatchlings. One pushed back the troublemakers, while the other held back Shio and Rin. Letting out a snort, the green dragon stared down at Morag and Blaze who immediately submitted. Letting out a small whine, Morag looked up with pleading eyes. I hid a smile as the green dragon deliberately turned his head. Poor Morag looked betrayed.

A snort sounded next to me. I turned to see Nuri staring at the scene. Noticing me, she snorted again, a little softer this time. As if to say, _have you seen this?_

Hans cleared his throat and thanked the dragons for their assistance. “Remember, you must behave. Otherwise your handler won’t let you play.”

Predictably, the hatchlings all turned to me in unison, with heartbroken looks on their faces. I shot a glare towards Hans who gave a sheepish smile. ‘Sorry!’ He mouthed at me.

“Be good and you can play. Understand?” They nodded. “Good.”

All was well once more.

“Right! Then let’s start training!” Hans exclaimed. The hatchlings cheered, but the younglings stayed quiet.

Looking downcast, I noticed the younglings kept looking over at their handler. Finally, one whined. Naturally, the others followed.

“Oh, uh Lila? Are you busy?” Hans asked the woman.

Sighing, Lila stared down at the younglings. When one gave a questioning chirp, she smiled. “No, we can stay a little longer. But remember, this is for the little ones. Not you guys. Understand?”

Ecstatic, the younglings nodded eagerly. Sharing their excitement, the hatchlings cheered.

“Great! So to start, we’re going to see how fast you guys are. You see these poles?” Hans pointed out two poles that had been placed a few metres apart. Obediently, the hatchlings and younglings nodded. “Good. You guys are gonna start by this pole. You gotta run to the other pole, go all the way around and then come back to this pole. Understand?”

A few of the hatchlings nodded, though a couple looked a bit unsure. Seeing this, Leon stepped forward. “Here, watch me do it. Okay?” They nodded.

Leon took off, sprinting towards the pole as the hatchlings and younglings cheered him on. A few of the riders joined in the cheering, while others laughed. Rounding the pole, Leon sprinted back and came skidding to a halt. Taking a bow, he grinned as everyone cheered once more.

“So that’s how you do it. Understand?” Leon asked. This time everyone nodded, looking excited.

“Thank you Leon. Now we’ll have you run one at a time, to see how fast you can run. Then we can do some races. Sound good?” This time the hatchlings squealed loudly. Already I could see Morag and Breeze pawing the ground as they prepared to run.

“Okay. Who’s first?”

The hatchlings sat and waved their claws in the air. Each eager to be the first to run.

Hans smiled at them before looking at me for help.

“Why don’t we do it alphabetically? Amber, Ashaka, Blaze, Breeze, Kima, Morag, Rin and then Soren.” I suggested. Obediently, the hatchlings nodded.

Hans smiled, looking grateful. “Great. Okay, Amber? Are you ready?”

Looking a little nervous, Amber looked over at me. Trying to encourage her, I gave her two thumbs up. She squealed before she turned and waddled over to the pole. Next to me, I noticed Nuri lifting her leg. Staring at my hand curiously, she tried to mimic my thumbs up. A bit difficult when she didn’t have thumbs like I did. I smiled, trying not to laugh.

“Go!” I quickly turned my attention back to Amber who was racing towards the pole with great speed. Slowing down to a waddle, she walked around the pole before she resumed her running. Returning back to the start, she looked so proud of herself, as everyone began cheering for her.

A few of the riders sat down on the grass as they watched the remaining hatchlings run. Their dragons flopped down beside them, staring intently at the hatchlings and roaring at their success. I did the same, clapping and cheering as Soren returned.

“Great job!” Hans grinned, quickly followed by praises from the other riders. “Now are you ready to try racing? You do the same as before, but this time two of you race. The first one to get back is the winner. Okay?”

The hatchlings nodded; their tails wagging furiously. And then they were off. In the same order as before, they were paired together. Each racing furiously around the poles and back. A little too furiously in fact, as Blaze kept running faster and faster until he ran straight past the pole he should have gone around. Skidding to a halt, he turned around, clearly confused. Then he began running again, but it was too late. Breeze was happily claiming his victory as Blaze let out a wail of despair.

I snorted, trying not to let any of the hatchlings see me. Though well used to their antics, there were times they still managed to catch me off guard. And it seemed I wasn’t the only one. Many of the other riders and even their dragons, were smiling and laughing. Thankfully Blaze soon stood and trudged back, before bowing his head in defeat. Breeze, being the sweetheart I knew he was, flung himself forward and nuzzled into Blaze. Entwining their tails together, the two returned to the others, both now sporting big smiles.

The remaining races passed quickly, but just before they ended, I noticed others coming over to us. Seeing me stare, Jace smirked, only to wince as his dragon cuffed the back of his head with his wing. Next to him, Li snorted.

Hans began explaining the next activity, one which involved getting all of the dragons involved. Excited, they all leaned in as Hans began explaining the rules of the ball game. As everyone listened closely, I felt a presence next to me.

“We need to talk to you.” A familiar voice whispered in my ear. I didn’t bother looking, I knew who it was. But why did they need to talk to me? That was the question.

_‘More than one asked for my permission to court you.’_ Those words echoed through my mind.

It couldn’t be. Could it?

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed it, please let me know.  
> KB


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